Construction crews at the site of the future UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital celebrated a major milestone today, signing their names on a metal beam adorned with a traditional pine tree and the American flag that was carefully raised and installed in one of the tallest spots of the hospital structure.

Mike Ross, senior project manager for Mortenson Construction, the general contractor of the hospital, spoke to those gathered that the topping-off ceremony is a longstanding construction tradition that honors the hard work of the crews and their commitment to safety.

“Hospital projects are very challenging due to their complexity, and often need to be delivered in a compressed time frame,” Ross said. “Mortenson and our design and trade partners – and everyone touching this project – work with the end result in mind at all times: delivering the most efficient, effective, state-of-the-art facilities to ensure top quality patient care.”

Diane Cookson, president of UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital, applauded the work that the crews have done so far and emphasized they are building a legacy that will improve lives in Douglas County and beyond for generations to come.

“UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital will deliver innovative, leading-edge care and advanced medicine to this community,” Cookson said. “Every person working on this project has a hand in shaping the future of Highlands Ranch and helping to bring extraordinary care closer to home for residents of south metro Denver.”

BY THE NUMBERS

• 1,400,000 feet: The amount of data cabling that will be used in the project.
• 4,200 tons:The amount of structural steel that will be used in the project.
• 28,155 cubic yards:The amount of concrete that will be used in the project for the hospital and the garage.

When it opens in early 2019, UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital will bring innovative, leading-edge care and advanced medicine to residents in one of the fastest growing areas of the country. Spanning approximately 360,000 square feet – with an adjacent 85,000-square-foot medical office building housing a two-story cancer center – the full-service hospital will open with approximately 72 inpatient beds with room to expand.

The hospital will feature a birth center including C-section operating rooms and Level III NICU, intensive care unit, operating rooms, Level III trauma center and emergency department, advanced cardiac services, and complete imaging. UCHealth will partner with both community physicians and with the CU School of Medicine to provide care at Highlands Ranch Hospital.

The new medical campus will occupy 33 acres of the newest Shea Properties development on the last vacant property in Highlands Ranch. The master plan for Central Park spans nearly 100 acres and is organized around a future public park which will have an urban feel and will include a special art element. UCHealth is building on land owned by the Englewood McLellan Reservoir Foundation (EMRF). Shea Properties and Shea Homes will complete the remaining portion of the development, with Shea Properties introducing a mix of 280 rental townhomes and apartments east of the retail village and Shea Homes introducing a single family home community with 200 houses nearby.

The six-story hospital is projected to cost more than $310 million and will have room to expand in the future as the needs of the growing community change. Mortenson Construction is supported by EYP Health, BSA LifeStructures, Datum Engineers, Gallun Snow, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Kimley Horn, The Lund Partnership and BHA Design Incorporated, RK Mechanical and Encore Electric.